The NRL Tackle: Parramatta’s retro jersey curse, Tyrell Sloan’s struggles in defence, Broncos’ dilemma
The Eels hoped the retro jersey design released this year would inspire a 2001-style march to a grand final, but the reality has been the opposite – adding insult to injury in a horrid season.
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Parramatta trumpeted the release of their retro jersey earlier this season, hoping it might inspire a 2001-style march to the grand final.
Instead, it’s looking like anything but the jersey in which the Eels won 12 consecutive games some 23 years ago.
Parramatta wore it for the third time in Saturday night’s 24-16 loss to the Gold Coast, continuing their winless run in the strip, following earlier defeats to the Wests Tigers and Canterbury.
Maybe the Eels should ditch the 2001 jumper before they are in for another 12-game run, this time in defeats.
They’ve now lost five straight games and, after next week’s bye, have seven matches remaining.
It’s a tough run home against Melbourne (home), New Zealand (away), Penrith (home), Sydney Roosters (away), Brisbane (away) and St George Illawarra (home) before a potential final round wooden spoon playoff against the Wests Tigers.
ROUND 19 DISLIKES
UNJUSTIFIED OUTCRY OVER REF COLLISION
The hysteria around Cronulla fullback Will Kennedy facing a two-week ban, one match with an early plea, for pushing over referee Adam Gee has been predictable.
Many fans have wanted to lay the blame on the collision between Gee and Kennedy on the match official.
But replays show Kennedy had at least 10 metres to try and avoid contact with Gee and the No. 1 even managed to evade hooker Blayke Brailey, who was in the vicinity.
Fans were quick to decry Gee’s positioning before Kennedy collided with him but the onus has to be on the players running in from behind the referee.
There is no way for Gee to have foreseen the collision meaning he also had no chance to brace for the heavy contact.
Earlier in the year Melbourne’s Jahrome Hughes accepted a one-game ban after he was hit with a grade two contrary conduct charge for pushing over referee Chris Butler.
Making contact with the referee has always been frowned upon, and something those trying to defend Kennedy should remember.
SLOAN EXPOSED
He did some good things with the ball but Tyrell Sloan’s defence remains a big issue for St George Illawarra.
Sloan missed four one-on-one tackles in the second half which led to tries as Brisbane surged back into the game, two of those misses were on Kotoni Staggs.
The most concerning for the Dragons would have surely have been the miss on Broncos rookie hooker Blake Mozer who ran over Sloan from close range to score in the 72nd minute.
Ezra Mam sparked the Broncos comeback when he scored in the 54th minute after Sloan fell off a one-on-one tackle after going high on the Brisbane five-eighth.
Coach Shane Flanagan and Sloan were picked up by the Fox League cameras having a chat shortly after full-time, whether defence was on the agenda wasn’t clear.
Sloan’s ability as an X-factor on the side of the ball are obvious, but defensive reads and technique have been questionable and even Flanagan has admitted it’s still the weakest part of his game.
The Dragons have the bye this week and there’s no doubt working on Sloan’s defence will be a high priority for Flanagan before St George Illawarra’s next game against Penrith in Round 21.
KEVVIE’S EXPLOSIVE RANT HIGHLIGHTS ISSUES AT BRONCOS
Brisbane’s Origin stars Payne Haas, Reece Walsh, Selwyn Cobbo and Pat Carrigan must back up from Wednesday’s series decider at Suncorp Stadium.
After slumping to six-straight losses on Saturday at the hands of the Dragons, the Broncos’ season depends on a win against Newcastle on Saturday, so does Kevin Walters’ sanity.
Walters rested his Origin contingent after game two to minimise the toll of having to travel to New Zealand to face the Warriors.
This time, only injury can be a good enough excuse not to play against the Knights.
Walters said he’d make the decision on ‘science, based on the facts and numbers’.
But the facts and numbers are simple.
The Broncos need to win six from their last seven games to be in the hunt for a finals berth.
No team has ever lost more than five straight games in a season and won the premiership.
Only two teams, the Broncos in 2006 and Storm in 2012, have lost five-straight games and gone on to win a premiership.
The Broncos look incapable of replicating that feat in 2024.
Already the rumblings have started that the effort and attitude shown by this Broncos outfit is a sign players aren’t putting in for their coach.
Worse still, is Walters’ own admission that whatever message is being sent during the week is not filtering through on game day.
Cameras captured the moment Walters delivered a scathing rebuke to his players after the Dragons loss, before he stormed out of the dressing room.
He has the right to be frustrated at his side, but at a club as powerful and as demanding of success as the Broncos, the buck stops with Walters.
If the Broncos miss the top eight after coming so close to toppling Penrith in last year’s grand final, Walters won’t be able to avoid the daggers destined to come his way.
Only success in 2023 smothered the storylines and fall out from Cobbo’s shock pre-season comments about Walters and his coaching ability, specifically the lack thereof.
A year before, Tyson Gamble spoke openly about how veteran halfback Adam Reynolds was the ‘go-to man’ for players ahead of Walters.
It’s become painfully clear that Reynolds is also the Broncos’ only real ‘go-to man’ on the field. The Broncos have only two of the last eight games with Reynolds while he’s been out with a biceps injury.
At this rate, there’ll be no finals hopes for Reynolds to salvage when the general returns in round 22.
It also puts the spotlight on the Broncos failing the next man up mentality. The Dragons were without their best two players in Ben Hunt and Zac Lomax, and lost Raymond Faitala-Mariner in the warm-up but still got the job done.
Yes, the Broncos have had to deal with injuries in 2024, and the Origin period, but so have other clubs.
Star halfback Nathan Cleary has only played five games this year and Penrith has had to contend with losing five players to Origin, but still Ivan Cleary’s men sit second on the ladder.
Melbourne are leading the ladder having won five from their last six games without Cameron Munster, who is out with a groin injury, and periods without hooker Harry Grant and Xavier Coates.
Brisbane went into 2024 as a genuine title favourite and now is a threat of being the biggest disappointment of the season.
It doesn’t bode well for Walters.
TIGERS HIT ROCK BOTTOM
The only insult bigger than being accused of throwing in the towel as a professional NRL player is when it comes from a league Immortal.
Legendary halfback Andrew Johns has slammed Wests Tigers players for caring more about cashing paychecks than having a dig after another humiliating loss, this time at the hands of Cronulla.
“They were absolutely hopeless, some blokes need to have a good look at themselves and whether they want to compete or if they just want to turn up and get the cheque at the end of the week,” Johns said on Channel 9.
“I felt sorry for their fans. They just did not have a go.”
After going down 58-6 against the Sharks, the Tigers have now conceded 138 points in three weeks.
Benji Marshall apologised to fans for the dismal display, which has again exposed the amount of work the rookie coach has on his hands to transform the Tigers’ attitude and effort.
“He shouldn’t be apologising, the players should be apologising,” Johns said.
“If you’re going to win a game in the NRL there is a price to pay, you push through when you’re tired, you have to put your body on the line.
“They are not doing that.”
ROUND 19 LIKES
DOLPHIN KEY TO SOUTHS’ PACK WOES
While Wayne Bennett won’t hear of the talk that he is coaching two teams, he would have walked away from Kayo Stadium knowing one of his Dolphins could provide a solution to a problem at South Sydney next year.
Tevita Pangai Junior exposed the Rabbitohs’ middle forwards with a powerhouse first half display which included a bulldozing try.
In just his third game back after giving boxing a try, Pangai Junior repaid Bennett’s faith in him with an outstanding display, finishing the night with 152 running metres.
It had plenty wondering, probably none more so than Rabbitohs bosses, if the off-contract prop would follow his mentor to Souths next year.
He could be just the man to take the departing Tom Burgess’ spot.
Pangai Junior has barely scratched the surface of his enormous potential and Canterbury fans didn’t get to see the ceiling of the rampaging forward that commanded a price tag of $750,000 per season.
But if there is one coach that can inspire the best out of a player it’s Bennett.
HIT THE GUTHERINO
Talk about rubbing salt into Parramatta’s wound.
Phillip Sami could not help but take a small dig at Eels skipper Clint Gutherson, hitting the ‘Gutherino’ dance after the Gold Coast centre crossed the line for a four pointer on Saturday night.
Gutherson coined the post-try celebration dance move but it hasn’t stopped Sami in relishing in it.
It’s not the first time Sami has hit the ‘Gutherino’ either, the Titans back dished it out after scoring a try against the Eels back in 2022.
Gutherson was a good sport about it back then, revealing the two are actually friends and their running ‘Gutherino’ battle was good for the theatre of the game.
No doubt the Eels fullback would take a similar attitude this time around given the try celebration helped the donation counter tick over the $100,000 mark for the Australian Skin Cancer Foundation as part of Sportsbet Try July.
FULLER FLYING
Dolphins livewire Trai Fuller is the best value player on the market right now.
The dynamic fullback has not looked out of place each time he has come into Wayne Bennett’s side to replace Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, either through injury or Origin duties.
He made 247 metres, had two line break assists, one try assists and crossed for a try in the Dolphins’ win over the Rabbitohs on Thursday night.
Right now, Fuller is off-contact and is on a development deal at the Dolphins.
At the very least Fuller has proven to be a worthy depth player in the top 30 and is worthy of a contract upgrade.
The Dolphins told The Tackle the club is working to upgrade Fuller into the Top 30 and extend his stay beyond 2024.
If the Dolphins can’t find a place for Fuller in the top grade roster, other NRL sides looking for an elusive edge in backline stocks will.
BUNKER CONSISTENCY, FINALLY
All anybody in rugby league wants when it comes to the Bunker is consistency and that’s what it delivered with the decision to award South Sydney’s Jye Gray a penalty try against the Dolphins.
Trai Fuller made contact with Gray who was chasing a kick which he fumbled in the in-goal but the Bunker ruled that the Rabbitohs fullback was denied a clear run at the ball when he was grabbed by his fellow No.1.
It was the same as an incident from Round 12 involving Luke Keary who was also awarded a penalty try after his run to the ball was hampered by contact from Canberra’s Morgan Smithies.
Credit where it’s due and it’s due for the Bunker.
HUMPHREYS HAILED
Rising playmaker Jamie Humphreys looks like one that got away for Manly.
Humphreys’ stellar debut for the Sea Eagles against Newcastle will leave fans asking why it has taken so long to blood the 22-year old, and why the club has let him slip through its fingers.
Earmarked as a future halves option at Manly, Humphreys, who has been left to ply his trade at hooker in NSW Cup, will defect to rivals South Sydney to play under Wayne Bennett in 2025.
Stepping in to replace Daly Cherry-Evans at halfback, Humphreys’ class was on the full display in Sunday’s 44- 6 win against the Knights.
Not only did he did he take on the line and straighten Manly’s attack, setting up a try, he also crossed the line himself to cap off an impressive debut.
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